An
amicus curiae (literally,
friend of the court; plural,
amici curiae) is someone who is not a
party to a
case and offers information that bears on the case, but who has not been solicited by any of the parties to assist a
court. This may take the form of
legal opinion,
testimony or
learned treatise (the
amicus brief) and is a way to introduce concerns ensuring that the possibly broad legal effects of a court decision will not depend solely on the parties directly involved in the case. The decision on whether to admit the information lies at the discretion of the court. The phrase
amicus curiae is
legal Latin.